Safety-feed for lubricators.



T. A. DELANEY. SAFETY FEED FOR LUBRICATORS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10,1915.

Patented July 4, 1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. f

THOMAS A. DELANEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HILLS, MCCANNA.COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SAFETY-FEED FOR LUBRICATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 10, 1915. Serial No. 49,968.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS A. DELANEY, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Safety-Feeds for Lubricators; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thenumerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

In power plants and in machines which use multiple force feedlubricators, .it often becomes necessary to clean or repair the oilsupply mechanism. In such instances, considerable trouble is sometimesencountered due to the lubricating oil, which has already been forcedinto the supply or feed lines which tends to flow in a reverse directionleaking out at the opening or parts where the repairing or cleaning isto be performed.

This condition causes waste of oil and is also a hindrance and annoyanceto one making the repairs or cleaning the line.

My invention relates to an improved nonreturn sight feed valve mechanismfor force-feed lubricators', adapted to be used more particularly withforce-feed lubricators of the type claimed and described in UnitedStates Letters Patent No. 694,406, dated March 4th, 1902, forlubricators, issued to B. T. McCanna and myself.

It is an object therefore of this invention to construct a non-returnvalve mechanism embracing an automatically acting ball valve and aretaining means therefor.

It is also an object of this invention to construct a one way flow valvemechanism adapted to be threaded into one end of a pipe coupling of asight feed lubricator.

It is finally an object of this invention to construct an improved valveto prevent the return of oil forced into feed lines of a lubricatingsystem.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings: Figure 1 is a view of a pump force-feed lubricator inelevation, and a sight-feed mechanism in section attached thereto,embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of thesight- 65 feed mechanism. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device. Fig.4 is a side elevation of the threaded retaining bushing forming a partof'my invention. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view thereof.

As shown in the drawings: A pump 1, is mounted upon an oil reservoir 2,provided with a plunger 3, adapted to be reciprocated by a yoke 4,acting on adjustable stops 5 and 6. Connected to an outlet extension onsaid pump 1, in any suitable manner is a pipe 7, threaded at its upperend to receive a sight-feed device comprising a main casing 8, havingintegrally formed at both ends thereof coupling bosses 9 and 10,respectively, said boss 9, adapted to be threaded on the feed pipe 7, toconnect the same with an oil passage 11, communicating with a chamber12. Slidably mounted with in saidcasing 8, is a tubular plunger 13,contalning a light spring 14, which acts normally to force the plungeroutwardly toward a glass 15, held in place by a retaining gland 16,threaded on a lateral extension of the casing S. Said plunger 13, isprovided with a plug threaded in the end thereof having a restrictedpassage 13, to

permit oil to pass therethrough into the inner part of the chamber 12,and also having a groove or slot 17 across the outer surface thereof toreceive a screw driver or other suitable tool for adjusting the plug.Formed in the upper end of the casing 8, is an oil passage or channel18, communicating through the plunger 13, with the cham ber 12, andterminating in an enlarged threaded opening 19, in the coupling boss 10.Sald opening 19, is shaped at its lower end to afford a seat 20, for asmall steel ball 21, adapted to rest thereon to close the oil passage18. Threaded into said opening 19, is a retaining bushing designated asa whole by the reference numeral 22, and shown enlarged in Figs. 4 and5, and comprising an exteriorly threaded cylindrical body portion 23,having a passage 24, axially therethrough. Formed on the lower end ofsaid bushing 22, with a plurality of slots or passages 25, therebetween,are integral prongs or projections 26, and cut across the upper end ofthe bushing is a groove 27, to afford a means of engagement for a toolin threading the bushing into the opening 19, of the coupling boss 10.Threaded into the upper end of the opening 19, above the bushing andconnecting with the passage 24, is a distributing feed pipe 28, forconducting the oil to the mechanisms to be lubricated.

The operation is as follows: When the pump 1, is operated, oil is forcedfrom the reservoir 2, by the plunger 3, through the pipe 7, into thepassage 11, to the chamber 12, immediately below the glass 15, and dueto the pressure of the oil, thrusts the plunger 13, inwardly, the oilthen flowing through the small passage 13, upwardly through the plungerand into the channel 18, raising the ball 21, from the valve seat 20,against the projections 26, of the retaining bushing 22. From this pointon, the oil flows around the ball through the slots 25, upwardly throughthe passage 24, into the pipe 28, to be conducted to the mechanisms tobe lubricated. The pressure of the oil thrusting the plunger 13,inwardly, obscures it from sight at the glass 15, and should the oilcease flowing, the spring 14-, would force the plunger outwardly againinto view, thus giving a visual indication of the flow or nonflow ofoil. If, however, during the operation of a machine, it becomesnecessary to clean or repair parts of the pump or the sigh'tdi'eeddevice, the pump is stopped and the forced flow of oil is thusdiscontinued. The oil already forced into the feed pipe 28, however, isprevented from flowing in a re verse direction, due to the ball valve21, lodging against the valve seat 20, thus closing the passage 18. Theparts of the system below the valve can then be cleaned or repairedwithout loss of oil or annoyance caused by a back flow.

I am aware that various details of construction may be varied through awide range without departing from the principles of this invention. Itherefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise thannecessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a lubricating device of the class described, a sight-feedconnection having oil inlet and outlet passages, a ball movably placedin said outlet passage, and a slotted retaining bushing adj ustablymounted above said ball, said ball adapted to permit flow of oil throughsaid outlet passage in one direction only.

2. A lubricating device, comprising an oil duct, a transparent wallforming a part thereof, a movable indicator normally impelled againstsaid transparent wall and adapted by the flow of oil to be forcedtherefrom, a spring to resist such movement of said indicator wherebysaid indicator indicates the flow or non-flow of the oil, a distributing passage leading from said oil duct, a ball therein, and abushing having a plurality of openings therein threaded into saidpassage above said ball to retain the same within said passage, saidball and bushing being adapted to permit a flow of oil in one directiononly.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS A. DELANEY.

\Vitnesses CHARLES l/V. HILLS, J r., EARL M. HARDINE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of latent Washington, D. G."

